Indiscretion
by Queen of Leaves
Summary: Sam wants something to change between them. These are Jack's thoughts. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! I'm back! Look for all my pending work to be finished or near-finished this summer. This is a little plotbunny that came to me after too much coffee. Hope I translated it well enough from my scribblings. The italics represent Jack's thoughts. This is part one of a two-parter. Look for the next chapter in a day or two._

**Indiscretion**

_Floor, ceiling, floor, ceiling, floor._

Jack frowned and raised his arm again.

_Floor, ceiling, floor, ceiling, floor, wall. That's it?_

His brows furrowed.

"Sir?"

He glanced up to see Carter standing in front of him, holding out his glow in the dark bouncy ball.

"Thanks," Jack replied, taking the ball from her hand. He paused slightly as his fingers brushed her palm.

"Trying for a new record?" she asked, a smile hinting on her face.

Jack grunted, slipping past her to walk down the hall.

"Sir, you haven't said more than two words to me since I told you," Carter said, reaching out to grab his arm. She stopped just before he turned to face her.

"What's to say?" Jack mentally patted himself on the back. His voice was a lot calmer than he felt.

"You could say you're happy for me."

_Don't look in her eyes, Jack. That's her secret move. Forehead. Stare at her forehead._

"Looking at my forehead isn't going to help, sir."

_Dammit. _

"I could say I'm happy for you," Jack repeated.

He could say a lot of things. He could say he thought that her leaving Pete would be a changing point for them. He could say that when he had punched a hole through his kitchen wall when she cancelled plans to grab a drink because she had a standing engagement.

"Yeah, I could say that," Jack said, staring at her.

She bit her lip.

_Good, she feels guilty. Now, go for the throat!_

"Carter, you-"

"Jack, you are a Class-A asshole."

Jack's eyebrows scaled his forehead in surprise. He glanced around the corridor. There was no one around. Good. He didn't have to court-marshal her.

"Carter, you're going to talk like that to a superior officer?"

She tightened her jaw and Jack saw he was talking to Sam, not Carter.

_Shit._

"Don't you dare bring up rank when we're talking about this. You really think I'd wait for you forever?"

She shoved past him to get out of the hallway.

"Carter, I..." he shook his head. "Sam. I want to talk."

She stopped. "Then talk."

"Here?"

She turned, her eyes blazing. "I'm sick of being discrete."

Jack's eyes followed her as she stormed off. His inner five-year-old was tempted to throw the ball at her and stick his tongue out.

But his adult side...

_Nope, still want violence. Tom or Bob or whatever the hell his name is. I'll tear his throat out. Mr. Much More Her Age couldn't possibly be militarily trained, could he?_

As the airman passed by, he saluted the General, who absently saluted back. The airman walked a little straighter. With that facial expression, the General was no doubt planning a major attack against the Ori. Shimmering with pride, the airman rounded the corner.

_And then I'll sit on him._

Slowly, Jack began to walk down the hallway, retracing Sam's steps.

'_You could say you're happy for me.' Jeez, Sam. Kick a man while he's down. Do you love him? _

Outwardly, he showed no sign of anger, but the tremor of his clinched jaw gave him away as his knee twinged.

_Couldn't take him. Damn knee, he'd probably have me on the ground in ten seconds._

Jack paused.

_I'd still sit on him though._

How many times had he hugged her in ten years? Three times? Four?

'_I'm sick of being discrete.'_

Jack's feet began to pick up their pace.

She wanted indiscretion. He'd give her indiscretion.


	2. Chapter 2

_Indiscretion - Chapter Two_

_She wanted indiscretion. He'd give her indiscretion._

If he could find her, that is. His passionate resolve at full strength, he searched her lab, the gateroom, her office and the mess.

_Maybe I could say there was a problem with the gate. Then she'd have to come to the gateroom. It's brilliant!_

Jack smiled to himself.

_But she'll know if there is really nothing wrong. Maybe I should break it._

He stopped.

_She'll kill me if I break it._

He closed his eyes. It was tempting to break the gate as a sign of his devotion, but he didn't think she'd take it well. Sighing, he opened his eyes, unsure of where to search next.

That's when he saw her, the short blond haircut slipping around the corner on speedy legs.

"Carter!"

She kept walking.

_I see. Playing hard to get. Well, two can play that game. Wait, I'm chasing her. Two can't play that particular game. _

Jack sped up to a jog, hoping to look eager, but not desperate to talk to her. When he caught up to her, she had just closed the door. Jack skidded to a halt just in time to avoid stumbling into the women's bathroom.

_I am now parked outside the women's restroom. Not exactly the most romantic place to declare your undying love, but it's gonna have to do._

Hesitantly, he knocked on the door.

"Carter, are you in there?"

No answer.

"Carter?"

"Carter...Sam...I'm tired of this. I am so friggin' sick of wondering if every time we step through the gate will be the last time I see you alive. I'm sick of having to wait to see you in the mornings. I want to wake up and be the first thing you see."

He paused.

"I want to eat breakfast with you."

Silence.

"I dream about holding you, you know. I don't want to dream anymore. Unless I'm dreaming about holding you while I'm actually holding you."

_That would be awesome!_

He heard a flush.

"Sam?"

The door opened.

"Sir, that is so sweet!"

_Airman...Shelley?_

The blonde woman smiled at him. "I think we've all known for so long that you love her. There's betting pools on when you two will finally get together. Stop rehearsing and go tell her how you feel!"

She patted him on the shoulder and left smiling.

_Rehearsing?_

"Shit."

_Think, Jack. She's gonna start telling people you're in love with Carter and eventually someone will tell Carter. I can either stop her or-_

"Oh, sir? I just saw Colonel Carter going to her lab," Shelley said. "She's probably still there if you want to talk to her."

Jack took off as fast as his knee would allow.

Once he finally reached her lab, he threw open the door.

_Ta freaking da! Here I am. Why does she look surprised?_

Sam looked up and covered the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Sir?"

Jack waved his hand for her to continue talking. She whispered a few things under her breath into the mouthpiece.

_Did she just say Brad? Brad? That new son of a bitch she's dating?_

Jack shut the door, strode over to her and took the phone.

"Sorry, Brad. She's gonna have to call you back."

_I am so badass._

____

Okay, so it's going to be more than two chapters. Go figure.


	3. Chapter 3

_Last chapter!_

_Indiscretion - ch. 3_

"What the hell?"

"You want to talk?" Jack asked, keeping his hand firmly on the phone. "Let's talk."

"Fine, but explain to my dad why you just hung up on him," Sam said, frowning.

_Jacob? SHIT!_

(Author's note: Jacob's alive, bitches!! And Sam dumped Pete in season seven. My story, my rules)

"I thought you were talking to Brad."

"Nope," Sam snickered. "Go ahead. Call him."

Mutely, Jack picked up the phone and dialed the number he had memorized seven years ago in case he had to tell next of kin that Sam had died on a mission.

"What the hell, Jack?" came Jacob's angry voice.

"I can explain."

Sam covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing.

"You see, Carter's got this new boyfriend named Brad and I thought she was talking to him, so I hung up the phone."

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because..." Jack paused to look at the face that had filled his dreams and cheered his mornings for the past seven years. Her eyes danced as their gazes met and he saw an undeniable flash of what he finally recognized as hope.

"Because the thought of her with any other man makes me want to punch something. The thought that she might marry someone else...have kids with someone else...I hung up because if pissing you off is what it takes for me to tell Sam that I love her, I'm willing to make that sacrifice."

"Anything else?" Jacob demanded.

"Please don't kill me."

_I mean it, Sam. Your dad is terrifying._

"Jack, the only reason I'd kill you is because it took you seven years to tell her," Jacob said, laughing as he hung up.

Sheepishly, Jack turned to face Sam.

"Think your dad forgives me?"

"I think so. It's me you should be worried about. So..." she said coyly. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"Yeah," Jack replied, stepping close to her. "I'm going to kiss you," he said, taking her face in his hands.

Sam giggled, her face flushing. "Sir! Here?"

_She can giggle. That's adorable!_

"I'm about to kiss you and you're gonna call me sir?"

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

"Jack."

He grinned. "Better," he said and leaned in to kiss her again.

_I could so kick Brad's ass._

**Epilogue**

"How long have they been in there?" Daniel asked, staring at the closed door of Sam's lab.

"Two hours, fourteen minutes," Teal'c replied.

"Do we want to know what's going on in there?"

Teal'c's response was a stony stare.

"Guess not. Do you think Jack knows Brad wasn't real?"

"Perhaps he is as real as Jack made him," Teal'c observed.

Daniel frowned.

"Don't get existential."


End file.
